Improvement in draining cellars



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD S. DIOKINSON AND JOHN L: PEAKE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT lN- DRAINING CELLARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,156, dated July 18,1871.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known. that we, EDWARD S. Dickinson and JOHN L. PEAKE, both of thecity, county,

' vary at intervals from freshets in adjacent streams, or even where,from the proximity to open sea, it is liable to be ei'ected by waves inheavy weather.

We are aware that it has been common in draining marshes and variousplaces subject to tidal iluctuations to provide drains with self-actingvalves which would open on the sinking of the tide and allow water toiiow out, and which would shut of themselves on the rise of the tide land exclude it from returning. This is the basis of our invention. Wemake a convenient construction, which may be cheaply produced in theshop ready to set up at once without labor. It provides a drain securedby a self-actin g valve, with peculiar means for controlling' andoperating the valve and for ascertaining all the conditions at everystage. l/Ve have applied it in draining the cellar of a large buildingin this city, the bottom of which is below the level of the sea at highwater. There are, or might be, many cellars so situated in this city,and probably in most other maritime cities. Our invention is adapted togreatly promote the practicability and usefulness of deep cellars bytidal docks and streams.

We will proceed to describe what we consider the best means of carryingout our invention.

The accompanying drawing forms a part of -this specification. Figure lis a central vertical section. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on theline S S in Fig. l. Figs. 3 and 4 show modiiications of certain parts.The drawing represents the novel parts, with so much of the earth-workas seems necessary to understand their relations thereto.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

A is the bottom of the cellar, and A is the bottom of a pit or sunkportion in a cornerthereoi', and connected by blind, drains,notrelnesented, with the other portions of the cellar, so that the pitreceives all the water which oozes into the cellar through theinterstices in the earth or from other cause. l) is a pipe, laidhorizontally or slightly inclined therefrom, and communicating directlyor indirectly with an adjacent sewer or with the river, ocean, or otherbody of water which is liable to iiuctuation in height, but which iscertain to stand at intervals with its surface below the level of thecellar-floor. 1) D1 D2 is a casing of cast-iron or otherI suitablematerial, made in several pieces bolted tightly together, asrepresented, and carrying a valve-seat, df, which receives a sphericalvalve of India rubber or other suitable material. I prefer that thisvalve shall be of India rubber, with a single hole therein, stopped by aplug of India rubber or other suitable material, after it has beenpartially iilled with water or with other heavy material, so as to makeits mean density a little greater than that of water. 1n other words, itshould sink with a gentle force so as to offer little objection torising. The lower portion of the casing D2 is made with a broad dat footto stand firmly on the bottom, and is provided With an opening laterallyto receive the water. Above the valve the horizontal arm D1 connectswith the drainpipe B.V Above this" the casing D extends directly upwardseveral feet, so that its upper end is certainly above the level towhich the Water will ever rise. /Vhen the water from the tide or othersource outside sets back through the drainpipe B it closes the valve Oand rises in the upright casing or stand-pipe D. When the Water retiresagain it empties the entire apparatus above the base of the branch D1.level within the pipe D sinks below that of thewater in the pit thevalve O rises and the device commences to receive and discharge water.Ve provide means both for coniining the valve near its seat, and alsofor hauling it up for inspection and clearing or repairs at inter als.This is effected by means of a cage,I E, and rod Gprovided with a handleat the top, an'd steadied, if necessary, by a slight removablecross-bar, H, resting on suitable bearings near the top./ The cage E islnade as open as possible to avoid clogging with rags, paper, or anyforeign substance which may come from the pit with the water, but

So soon as the must be sufficiently close to prevent the escape of theball-valve C. It is adapted to retain the valve and prevent its gettingfar away from its seat, without interfering with its free rise and fallwithin proper limits, and is also adapted, by means of the rod Gr, to behauled up, bringing the valve with it whenever necessary. The uresrepresent several modiiications of this form of the apparatus.

The open casing D affords a ready means of measuring at any time theheight of the water therein. Good management requires that thevalve-cage, when found to be clogged by rags, paper, or any othermaterial known or unknown, so as to operate imperfectly, shall be drawnup and cleaned when the water outside is low. In. case of emergency,however, it can be hauled up and rapidly cleaned and returned when thewater outside is at any level, the only evil resulting in such casebeing the small quantity of water which can flow in durin g the interim.l/Ve provide a small lateral nozzle near the top of the casing D,adapted to be coupled to a pipe leading from a lift and force-pump. Bymeans of such pump the cellar may be emptied by the application of anysuitable power, when, in an extraordinary emergency, the self-acting`means are not suflicient to empty it. This condition is liable to berealized in maritime cities when a gale of wind prevailing for a long`period blows the water into river or harbor and prevents the sea fromebbing properly. This nozzle m allows the pump to be connected anddisconnected without endangering the tightness and completeness of theother provisions. Water from sinks, or other discharges about the houseor mine, may be led into the casing D at the top, or through additionalside branches near the top, without seriously interfering with theaction of our invention.

We do not coniine ourselves to the precise forni of the valve C. An yother which is light, adapted to be caged, and little liable to beclogged, may

serve.

To provide against any serious ini-lux of water While the valve and itscage are raised, we can provide a plug, not represented, to be lowereddown through the stand-pipe directly upon the seat.

Ye claim- 1. The drain B and valve G, in combina-tion with the open-topstand-pipe or tall casing D, arranged to operate relatively to eachother and to the pit or place to be drained, and to a fluctuatingwater-level outside, as and for the purposes herein specified.

2. In connection with the drain-pipe B, standpipe D, and valve C, thecage E and lifting-rod G or their equivalents, adapted to allow theremoval and return of the valve, as herein specified.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our names in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.-

E. S. DICKINSON. JOHN L. PEAKE. Witnesses z THOMAS D. STE'rsoN, C. G.LIVINGs.

